Interactive displays are known in the art. These systems include interactive touch-screens, often called kiosks, which are used to inform customers about a retailer's products. From a technical perspective, these displays have traditionally consisted of a computer, a computer monitor, and a touch-sensitive surface that is overlaid or incorporated directly into the monitor. In general, these displays are oriented vertically or at an angle off the vertical.
More recently, there has been significant development in the design of horizontal interactive surfaces, sometimes called interactive tables. These systems have been used in museum exhibits, at trade shows, and occasionally in retail environments. In many cases, these displays are simply traditional touch screens that have been mounted horizontally. Other touch table systems have utilized projection either from below the table onto a translucent surface, or from above onto an opaque white or off-white surface. Projection-based interactive systems oftentimes incorporate a camera, mounted above or below the table alongside the projector, which can record interactions at the table. The video signal generated by the camera is then processed by the computer using a variety of computer vision techniques to derive relevant information, including touch points and gestures.
Alongside the development of interactive displays, there has been significant growth in the field of network-based digital display systems. The preponderance of these non-interactive digital displays is due to the falling cost of the core technologies and the rise of inexpensive broadband internet connectivity. In essence, these network-based digital displays comprise a digital display (usually an LCD or Plasma screen) and a compact computer that drives the display. The computer receives media over the network connection from a common source, and then stores that media locally on a hard drive or other memory device for replay at a later point in time. With these displays, the information flows in one direction—from a provider to a point of sale platform.
In this context, it would be desirable to provide improved techniques for interactive product displays.